Power supply systems are pervasive in many electronic applications from computers to automobiles. Generally, voltages within a power supply system are produced by performing a DC/DC, a DC/AC, and/or an AC/DC conversion by operating a switch loaded with an inductor or transformer. DC-DC converters, such as buck converters, are used in systems that use multiple power supplies. For example, in an automotive system, a microcontroller that nominally operates at a 5 V power supply voltage may use a switched-mode power supply, such as a buck converter to produce a local 5 V power supply from the 12 V car battery. Such a power supply may be operated by driving an inductor using a high-side switching transistor coupled to a DC power supply. The output voltage of the power supply is controlled by varying the pulse-width of the time during which the switching transistor is in a conductive state.
Important considerations in the design of switched-mode power converters include the reliability and efficiency of the power supply system. Power may be lost during operation of the switched mode power supply, for example, due to transistor switching losses, the on-resistance of switching transistors, series resistance of passive devices, and resistive losses in wiring and interconnect. Such losses not only degrades the efficiency of the power supply system, but may also cause heat dissipation that can stress the various components on the power supply and/or create thermal stress to other circuits and components in the vicinity of the switched mode power supply.